During the last eighteen years of his life, Handel said his farewell to opera in order to devote himself exclusively to oratorio. His creativity was not forfeited in the least, as demonstrated by Messiah as well as the masterpiece Theodora, his next to last oratorio. The story evokes the cruelty of the Roman oppressor at the beginning of Christianity: the princess Theodora and the Roman soldier Didymus refuse to renounce their Christian faith and are thus sentenced to death by the Roman governor Valens. This theme inspired Handel to write one of his most beautiful scores, characterised by great alternation between da capo arias, chorus and some dazzling duos, with rich orchestration. Although the work enjoyed little success at the time, he considered it to be his favourite oratorio.